Trolley-harp.



J. H. CARMAC'K.

TROLLEY HARP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1915.

Patented May1'5, 1917..

Jdmaa K6 0277262;

JAMES H. CARMAGK, OF DENISON, TEXAS.

TROLLEY-HARP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 63,536.

1 b all IIJ]L07IL it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus H. CARnAoK, a citizen of the United States residing at Denison in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TrolleyHarps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in trolleys of the overhead type for electric car systems its principal object being to provide a simply constructeiil trolley harp which will be found to be extremely efficient in operation.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which has an improved brush for conducting the electric current from the trolley wheel to the pole without said current passing through the bearings.

With the above and minor objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of construction which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved harp applied to the end of a trol ley pole; v

Fig. is a top plan view of my improved device;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

1 is a detail perspective view of the brush: and

5 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have shown mv improved harp con-iprising a body portion 1 and a fork 2 which is carried by the body portion. This body portion 1 has a shank 3 having a socket 41 in one end adapted to recei e the reduced end of the trollcv pole l. This portion 1 also has a substantially semici cular outer end 5 which is formed integrally with the end of the shank The outer free cud of this semicircle is apertured as shown at for the reception of a ring 7 by which. a suitable cable 8 is connected with the harp. As is usual in devices of. this character, the cable extends downwardly into position adjacent one end of the trolley car. This semi-circular outer end 5 is provided with an opening in its lowermost portion which is adapted to receive the upper end of a depending cylindrical casing 9 open at both its upper and lower ends. This casing may be either cast integrally with the body portion 1 or it may be made separate and connected therewith in any suitable manner.

The casing 9 is adapted to receive astem 10 which depends from the fork 2 as shown. The stem 10 is loosely received in the casing 9 and has both rotary and reciprocatory movement. The fork 2 is preferably U- shaped in edge view as shown in Fig. 2 and is adapted to have its arms 11 adjacent their upper ends bifurcated as shown at 12.

The fin-cations 13 formed by these bifurcated ends are provided with tongues 14; on their inner edges wiich are adapted to be disposed in grooves formed in the edges of bearing blocks 15. After these bearing blocks have been placed in the arms of the forks, bolts 16 are passed through apertures in the furcations 13 just above the tops of said bearings, thereby securely holding the same in operative position within the arms 11. From this description, it will be seen that by a very simple arrangement, the bearing blocks are held in the fork and prevented from either moving vertically or shifting laterally.

As shown in the several figures of the drawings, these blocks are formerL in two sections 15 and 15, the upper portion 15 being considerably larger than the lower portion. The edges of the blocks at their junctions are provided with insulating bearings 17 in which the journals 18 of the trolley wheel 19 are adapted to be rotated. Tn assembling this part of the device the lower portions 15 of the blocks are placed in the bifurcated ends of the arms 11 and then the wheel 19 is placed in position, the upper portions of the blocks being then slid downwardly into engagement with the journals of the wheel, the whole being securely held by the bolts 16 which are placed in the apertures provided. The journals are preferably made hollow and provided on their outer ends with screw plugs to form closures for these hollow portions which are adapted to receive tallow or the like to provide a cooling medium for the bearings, in addition to the usual grease cups.

As hereinbefore stated, the stem 10 is loosely disposed in the casing 9 and has a rotary movement therein which permits the trolley wheel to readily adjust itself should the trolley wire with which it coacts deviate from a straight course. The lower end of the stem 10 is extended beyond the lower end of the casing 9 and provided with a nut or other form of stop 20 which limits the upward movement of the fork. This fork is normally forced upwardly by a coiled expansion spring 21 surrounding the stem 10 and disposed within said casing 9. This causes the trolley wheel to be maintained in close contact with the trolley wire at all times.

Inasmuch as the journals of the wheel 9 are insulated from the bearing blocks 15, it is necessary to provide a suitable means for conducting the electric current which is collected by the wheel 19 from said wheel to the trolley pole, from whence it is distributed to the several motors of the car. I preferably provide a brush 22 for this purpose which as shown in Fig. 4 is substan tially T-shaped. The head 28 of this member has its opposite ends pivoted between the arms 11 of the fork immediately below the trolley wheel by the pivot pin The body portion 25 of this T-shapcd member is substantially semi-cylindrical. in order that it may fit the groove in the trolley wheel 19. A conductor here shown in the form of a wire 26 is connected by a suitable binding post 27 to the brush and conveys the current therefrom to an additional binding post 28 on the shank 8. The body portion 25 of this brush is normally forced into contact with the trolley wheel and held in this position by means of the coil or other form of expansion spring 29 interposed between the under side of said member and the bottom of the U-shaped fork 2.

I desire to call particular attention to the peculiar shape of the outer end of the body portion 1, which as hereinbefore stated, is substantially semi-circular. This semi-circle is of sufficient size to extend well up around the sides of the fork and its wheel, as shown in the several figures of the drawings. The center of said wheel is a considerable distance below the longitudinal plane of the shank 3. This arrangement of the various parts prevents injury of the fork or the wheel especially by the cross supporting cables used to carry the line wire, inasmuch Copies of this patent may be obtained for as the upper portion of said shank 3 will tend to guide these cross wires over the wheel 19 when the same has jumped from the line wire. The free end of this semi-circular portion being also extended beyond the center of the trolley wheel, prevents anything from coming into forcible contact with this side of the fork or the wheel.

' From the foregoing description of the operation, construction, and advantages of my improved device, it is obvious that I have invented a much improved trolley harp and one which can be rather inexpensively manufactured.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a harp, a trolley wheel rotatably mounted in the fork thereof, a brush for collecting the electricity from the wheel, said brush comprising a T-shaped member, the opposite ends of the head thereof being pivoted within said fork, the body portion of said 1nemher being substantially semi-cylindrical and adapted to lie in the groove in said wheel, the flat face of said portion having a socket, the adj acent surface of said fork being also provided with a socket, having its ends disposed in said sockets for forcing the brush into the groove of said wheel, and a conductor extending from said brush to the trolley pole.

2. In a device of the class described, a harp comprising a body member, a fork mounted thereon, the upper ends of the arms of said fork being bifurcated, tongues formed on the inner side of the furcations, bearing blocks having grooves in their edges adapted to receive said tongues, insulating bearings in said blocks, a bolt ext-ending between the furcations of each of said arms above said blocks to hold the same therein, a trolley wheel rotatably mounted in said bearings, and a brush for engagement 'ith said wheel to collect the electricity therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. CABMAGK.

Witnesses:

A. N. HORTON, B. H. HORTON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

an expansion spring 

